Golds and EP set for FA Vase ties

Golds travel to in-form Kent League Premier Division side Ashford Town, while EP are also on the road with an away tie at Combined Counties League Division 1 side Knaphill.

A place in the third round is at stake for the County League Division 1 sides, as well as £1,200 prize money.

Littlehampton, who beat Corinthian 2-1 in the last round thanks to a 90th-minute Mitchell Hand penalty, face an Ashford side who have won seven of their eight league clashes so far this season.

Golds boss Mark Bennett is expecting a tricky match and is aware his side go into the game as the underdogs.

He said: “If you want to progress in the cups you have to beat the best teams, so we need to give a good account of ourselves. They played Greenwich Borough and beat them 4-1 in the Vase in the last round and I spoke to the Greenwich manager, who said they are a very good team.

“They are looking to progress this season and they beat Tunbridge Wells recently as well, so they have got to be quite a good team.

“I still think if we go there in the right frame of mind, we can cause an upset, and it will be an upset.

“We have nothing to lose and there is no pressure, I’d rather play a better side than one you are expecting to beat.”

Golds will be without Jamie Thompson, who is still travelling, while David O’Callaghan is injured.

Julian Curnow and Gary Peters are both also injury doubts and Sam Blundell is cup-tied.

Bennett added: “Like I said to the lads, if we get through this round, by the time of the next fixture, we should have all the lads back.

“On our day we can beat anyone and the Vase only goes up to County 1 standard, although the northern teams are always a bit stronger. All I ask is we give a good account of ourselves on the day.”

East Preston’s hosts Knaphill sit second in their league, having won nine of their 11 league games this season.

Dominic Di Paola will have the bonus of a fully fit squad to select from. He said: “We’ll just go and give it a good go. I have had a look at them and they are quite a good side.

“They are sat near the top of their league with a game in hand and are still in all their cup competitions.

“There are things up in their clubhouse saying they want to be playing Ryman football in two years’ time, so they are a team on the up.

“It’s a winnable game, though. I do not look at them and think they are the winners of the tournament.

“As I have said before, though, the FA Vase is very much a competition decided on the day. County League teams always seem to treat it as a day out rather than a cup competition they can win.

“I have said 100 times it is not realistic for a southern team to win it as the northern teams are so much stronger – I think to the equivalent of the Ryman Premier some of them.”

Both matches kick-off at 3pm on Saturday.